Late
by sarahkwin
Summary: Aaron Hotchner learns what it means to be a parent in a difficult time. Set during season five, mild swearing. Please R&R!


**Disclaimer: I own everything! Not really, but I gave it a shot *sigh***

**A/N: Please give this a try! It will go places you'd never expect**

**A/N: Sorry about the lousy formatting, ff was being difficult *shakes computer***

**LATE**

**Part One**

The neighborhood Westover, in Arlington was always busy on Monday mornings. Cars would pack the streets in a traffic jam by 8 am with everyone trying to get to their respective workplaces. The drivers were usually irritated, but not as irritated as Aaron Hotchner, who had not yet entered the fray.

His sister-in-law was supposed to at his apartment, seven am sharp so he could leave for the office and miss most of the traffic. It was now 7:20 and still no sign of her. Her cell phone was busy and he was trying not to be anal and call it a dozen times. He would definitely be late in the office today or late by his standards. And he despised being late for anything. However, Jessica Brooks was not known for her punctuality.

"Jack, dad will be right back." He said, stepping just out into the hallway. His young son didn't answer. He was immersed into whichever cartoon was on television. Hotch left the door open and just walked a feet few to see if he could see her coming. He wouldn't dare let the doorway out of his sight.

"Come on Jessica!" He growled under his breath. He looked at his watch again. 7:23.

Just then, his next door neighbor, Mrs. Figg poked her head out of her apartment. She was an older lady, in her late 60's and was hard of hearing. Hotch did not see much of her as she spent most of her time away, travelling the world on a RCI timeshare she raved about.

She knew he was an FBI agent and for some reason had taken a liking to him. Not like his other neighbors who ignored him, probably because of what had happened with Foyet and their guilt at not realizing the sound of a gun. But Mrs. Figg had made him dinner every night for the first week he was back home (she had just come back from Cuba the night before) and he had been courteous and appreciative every time she knocked on his door with a meal. While he didn't really like the mothering, it difficult to cook with so many bandages. Since then, they had maintained an amiable friendship, when she wasn't away. She even babysat Jack some of the nights when Jessica couldn't.

"Good Morning. I thought I heard your voice." She smiled with her yellowing teeth.

"Good Morning." He replied with a short nod, walking back into his apartment. Mrs. Figg followed him to the doorway.

"How are you?" She asked.

"Fine." Hotch said as he rechecked his briefcase. He needed to leave the minute Jessica got here….or perhaps Mrs. Figg could watch Jack for a few minutes. "You?" He added as an afterthought. If he needed her to watch Jack, he didn't want to seem rude and tick her off.

"Fine, fine. How is Jack?" Jack didn't even turn at the sound of his name. It worried Hotch a little bit, his son being even more moody then usual. Perhaps Hayley's death had finally sunk in.

"He's good. Right buddy?" He tapped Jack on the shoulder to get him to pay attention.

Mrs. Figg chuckled appreciatively. "That is wonderful. Mr. Hotchner, I have a small favor to ask of you, if you would oblige me." She said, her tone becoming serious.

"I'm running a little late this morning." He replied checking his watch again.

"Well, some other time then." She shrugged coolly. "Good day." And turned to walk away. Hotch needed to leave right now if he had any hope of jumping on the freeway.

"Mrs. Figg?" He called again.

"Yes, Mr. Hotchner?"

"What did you need?" Might as well ask now, since he also needed something from her. He just hoped it wasn't an inconvenience.

"Oh, nothing much." She said, brightening considerably. "I'm leaving tomorrow night on a cruise to Alaska, and my niece is coming to housesit for me. She's never really been to a big and I was wondering if you could check in on her a couple of time, just to make sure she's okay? She's really no trouble, but I do worry now-a-days about a young woman living alone."

"Ah, sure. No problem" She wasn't asking too much.

"Oh, thank you. You are such a dear." She smiled again.

"When is she coming?" He asked.

"Sometime next week. Could you give her this key? I made another one, just for emergencies."

"Great. Listen, I'm running late and I don't know when Jessica will get here, could you…?"

"Oh certainly, certainly." She said graciously.

"Thank you." Hotch said, grabbing his jacket. "She should be here any minute. And I just was in Alaska. It's cold." He told her, punching in the alarm code and getting his car keys.

"Thanks again." He firmly shut the door and locked it, heading to work.

"Aaron, so sorry for being late this morning." Was the first thing Jessica said as he walked in the doorway at seven pm. "There was an accident and it just tied everything up."

"I know, that's okay." He said. It had tied him up for over an hour. "Hey Jack." He called over the dining room table where his son was sitting, doodling on paper. He didn't respond again.

"He's been like that all day." Jessica whispered to him. He nodded, thinking whether or not he should have taken his son to a therapist. Jack had gone once, but he didn't really understand the situation. And Hotch did not like therapists.

"It's just a mood." He told her. "What's for dinner?" Hotch asked, famished.

"Spaghetti. Right Jack?"

"Not hungry." His son answered, frowning. Jessica huffed and went back to cooking. "Oh, Mrs. Figg told me about her house sitter. She told me to tell you she's coming Monday afternoon. How are you going to give her the key?" She waved an envelope holding the two keys.

"The doorman can give it to her." He replied, starting to help with dinner. Jessica usually left right afterwards. It was their deal. She drove Jack to day care and watched him afterwards until Hotch returned home. She rarely ate dinner with them during the week as she had an evening job to go to. Of course, Hotch paid her for watching Jack and had said he would pay her more but Jessica was stubborn. Like Hayley. And Jack.

"Go wash up Jack." Hotch told his son, only to receive a sigh and dark look. His son trudged into the bathroom.

"That's a real mood." Jessica commented. "So do you think Mrs. Figg is trying to set you up?" She asked completely changing the subject. Hotch had been drinking a glass of water when she asked it and promptly choked.

"What?" He asked. He didn't know whether to be offended or laugh.

"Oh come on. The old set up, 'my niece is coming into town, watch over her'; you have to admit, it's been done before." She teased. It got a rare smile out of him.

"No." He said firmly. "That isn't going to happen."

The week came and went. Hotch scheduled an appointment with a child psychologist for the following week, on Monday. Jack's bad temper persisted, leaving him at a loss of what to do. He hated that feeling. He was an excellent FBI agent, but as a father he never measured up.

He chose a different psychologist this time. A young woman who was well respected in her field and who he had been told worked wonders with young, young children. The first meeting went well, except Hotch had to take the afternoon off. Dr. Wendol had blonde hair, blonde like Hayley and that's partly why Hotch thought his son had actually liked her.

"What do you want for supper Buddy?" Hotch asked when they returned to their building.

Jack shrugged. He was still treating his father a bit coldly.

"Pizza?" Hotch offered. It was Jack's favorite food. It perked him up a little.

"Hi there little man, Mr. Hotchner!" The doorman greeted.

"Hi!" Jack responded. Strange, Hotch thought. Jack had ignored him and Jessica whenever they said something to him. He remembered the last words Dr. Wendol said to him. _"He's testing you."_

"Did you give Figg's niece the key?" Hotch asked. The doorman nodded and a strange look past over his face. He would have normally asked what the problem was, the doorman liked everyone in the building, but he was preoccupied with Jack.

After ordering the pizza, he thought it would be prudent just to get the introductions from his new neighbor over with. "Come on, Jack." He said. He knocked on the door.

On his second knock, the door was opened by a young teenage girl. She gave him a blank stare.

He was only momentarily stunned. This girl looked exactly like Hayley had in high school. Long blonde hair, blue eyes and fair skin. Just not the blank stare.

"Hi…is your mother home?" He asked quickly.

"No…" She said, standing in the doorway. Hotch could not quite get over how much she looked like Hayley. He only hoped his son didn't see it.

"I'm your next door neighbor, Aaron Hotchner. Is your mother going to be home soon? I just wanted to introduce myself." He offered.

"The FBI guy?"

"That would be me. This is my son Jack." Too late, he could see. Jack was already entranced.

"Quinn." She answered.

They stood in silence. He couldn't really think of anything else to say. "Well, like I said I just wanted to introduce myself. If you need anything, I'm right beside you. Nice to meet you Quinn." He tried to smile a little bit. He didn't want to seem like some creepy guy living next to them. He wondered if her mother looked anything like her.

"Bye." She said; blank stare still there and closing the door. He was left with an entranced son and a weird feeling like something wasn't right.

Jack looked up to his father. "I like her." He simply said.

Hotch hummed a vague agreement. He wondered why Mrs. Figg hadn't mentioned her niece's daughter but reconciled it with she had probably just forgotten.

**Yes? No? Maybe So? I would really like to know what people think so far. This fic is going to be a twist so give it a try!**


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